Lere Olayinka
Lere Olayinka, senior special assistant on public communications and social media to Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), has denied reports that his principal allocated 2,082 hectares of land to his son Joaquin.
The report, published Thursday, pegged the value of the 40,000 plots at $3.6 billion.
Citing documents and officials, the report added that the lands were located in Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape — highbrow areas in the capital — and other parts of Abuja.
“A plot in Maitama and Asokoro, where Mr Wike gave his son at least seven hectares total, was recently sold for $1.28 and $1.4 million,” the report claimed.
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The publication caused a stir on social media with Wike sitting atop the X trend table.
However, Olayinka dismissed the report as “another falsehood from the vault of those whose main job is to malign the FCT minister”.
“My attention has been drawn to yet another malicious falsehood coming from the same elements whose job is to defame and malign the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike,” the statement reads.
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“Even though it is the right of the minister and members of his family, both immediate and extended, to own lands anywhere in Nigeria, including the FCT, provided all necessary conditions are met, no land has been allocated to any of his children.
“In the publication, a Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) issued to JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited for agricultural purposes was the only evidence used to justify the claim.”
Olayinka maintained that Wike and his family had rights to own lands anywhere in the FCT, provided they met all necessary conditions but clarified that the land allocated to the company was situated in Bwari, an LGA in the capital.
“So what’s wrong with a farmer getting land allocation strictly for agriculture?” he asked.
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“In Asokoro and Maitama of today, where can the FCT minister see 2,082 hectares of land to allocate to anyone?”
The media aide urged the public to disregard the report.
